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Their heads, too, drew closer together. Perhaps
it was the storm which caused this movement, for it
was difficult to face the tempest. It was merely
an incident in their young lives, and yet it caused
their hearts to beat faster and their faces to flush,
the memory of which they would ever cherish.
How easy then it would have been for Jasper to give
voice to the promptings of his heart. He felt
that Lois cared for him and would respond to his love.
But just when he might have spoken Pedro plunged into
the ditch, and it took all of his master’s attention
to get him back on the road without upsetting the
sleigh.

“We nearly went over that time,” Jasper
remarked. Then they both laughed. Why
they did so they alone knew. But from that moment
they understood each other better than ever before.

It was a hard struggle Pedro put up that night as
mile after mile he crept onward. The froth flew
from his champing mouth and the vapour rose from his
steaming body. The footing was uncertain, the
snow deep, and the driving storm almost blinded him.
But never for an instant did he hesitate or show
the least sign of discouragement. He seemed to
realise how much depended upon his exertions this night,
and he felt bound to do his utmost. His master
held the reins and in his judgment he had perfect
confidence, and for him he would have expended the
last ounce of his marvellous strength. Nevertheless,
his eyes brightened and his weary steps quickened
when at length he saw the lights from Mrs. Bean’s
house struggling faintly through the night. With
a sudden spurt he dashed through the gateway and surged
proudly up to the door like a hero who had fought
a hard battle and had won.

CHAPTER XIX

DEVELOPMENTS

Lois was destined to remain at Mrs. Bean’s during
January and February. She camped, as she called
it, in the room next to the small one occupied by
her father, and thus she was always near to wait upon
him day or night. Mr. Sinclair’s recovery
was slow, and at first the doctor almost despaired
of his life. It was a bad case of pneumonia
brought on by his becoming over-heated while walking
along the cut-out, and then getting chilled to the
bone lying on the snow. To Lois it was a most
anxious time, and during the first two weeks she seldom
went out of the house. When at last her father
was able to be left alone for a while she spent an
hour or so out of doors with Dora and Stephen.

It was a wonderful winter to the Bean family.
Never before had Mrs. Bean known what it was to be
free from the oppressing spectre of want. No
longer was she forced to worry about household supplies;
neither was it necessary for Steve to go to the store
each week with his basket of eggs and a few rolls
of butter. He carried, instead, an order from
Lois, and Andy Forbes was only too willing to deliver
the goods in person instead of letting Steve carry
them as hitherto. Jimmy was working in the woods
with Jasper, and every Saturday night he brought his
wages home to his mother. Thus the Bean household
was well supplied with sufficient food and the widow’s
heart was made glad.